


The Bell & Broomstick

by IntrepidSeagull



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Autumn, Avengers Family, Background Relationships, Carnival, Developing Friendships, Gen, Ghosts, Halloween, Happy Ending, Infinity Gems, Light-Hearted, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:33:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26351968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IntrepidSeagull/pseuds/IntrepidSeagull
Summary: Tony discovers a mysterious antique from his late father and catches the unwanted attention of a collector. Ensnared in a web of strange events, ghosts, and paranormal activity as Halloween approaches, Tony and his friends attempt to capture all six magical stones before the collector does. Loki just wants everyone to get out of his shop.
Relationships: Clint Barton/Natasha Romanov, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark, Loki & Tony Stark, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 139





	1. Chapter 1

Tony hadn’t had a reason to visit Main Street before. The winding road of two-story historic buildings was a mix of local shops and restaurants. It was a popular spot for its quaint charm, but Tony had never needed to buy naturally dyed wool yarn or handcrafted beard wax. 

Thor kept outpacing him, leaving Tony to navigate around puddles on the cobblestone street. “If I get the bottom of my jeans soaked in mud for nothing, I’m going to be bummed, big guy.” 

Thor paused, his flannel scarf catching in the wind. He waited just enough for Tony to catch up. “Do you want to continue posting photos on forums and getting crickets?” Thor asked with a grin, brushing aside the hair that’d fallen loose from his ponytail. 

“I got a couple answers about it a week ago,” Tony protested. Thor chuckled. “That’s a respectable amount! It’s better than the zero replies I’ve been getting.”

Tony scowled at himself. That wasn’t exactly a good point. He pulled his jacket in closer and wished he had a scarf too. 

“And they suggested asking an antique dealer,” Thor answered. “So I’m sure my brother will know exactly what it is.” 

Tony had it tucked beneath his arm. The rectangular object was about a foot long and three inches wide, wrapped in a black cotton cloth with a delicate pattern in white stitching.

“I just want a better answer than that it’s a decoration,” Tony said. “I’m sure my dad got it somewhere interesting.” Tony avoided a patch of soaked orange and yellow maple leaves. Rain still lingered in the cool air, though the late afternoon sky was now a pale, clear blue.

Thor stuck his hands in the pockets of his denim jacket as Tony caught up again. “Are you going to sell it if it’s worth something?” 

“I don’t know what I’ll do.” Tony’s ears were starting to hurt in the cool wind. “I haven’t given it much thought besides figuring out what it is. Do you think your brother will charge me for the appraisal?”

“Only if I make him mad,” Thor said, smiling to himself. Tony had never met Thor’s brother, but Thor talked about him fairly often. There seemed to be a lot of sibling rivalry, but it also seemed like they mostly got along. He’d probably offered to help Tony get it appraised because he liked having an excuse to visit his brother.

“That shouldn’t be too hard, right?” They passed a single, faulty streetlamp that was lit while the others lining the street were dark.

Thor grinned and cocked his head. He stopped beside a shop with a large display window. Spindly white taper candles with burnt wicks filled the display, surrounding carefully arranged books and figurines over a velvet cloth. 

The Halloween theme seemed at odds with September, when the rest of the shops had been decorated with fall leaves and flyers for that weekend’s apple butter festival. “I guess we’ll find out,” Thor said, reaching for the wrought iron handle.

“This is it?” Tony asked. There was a sign for tarot carding reading propped against the glass, and another that said no pets. Nothing in the display looked particularly like an antique. 

“This is it,” Thor said, opening the door and keeping one arm propped against it so that it remained open until Tony caught it. _The Bell and Broomstick_ was handpainted in black on the glass. Silver bells clanked against the door as it fell shut.

Tony was struck by how quiet and peaceful it was inside. There was no music playing, and no one seemed to be in the shop. Immediately to the right was the register, empty except for the tuxedo cat sleeping on the black wooden counter. 

Shelves stretched to the ceiling behind the register. Dozens of brown paper bags with names scrawled on them lined the lower shelves, and above that were bottles of teas and herbs and random assortments of objects. A rolling ladder was set against the far end. “Is this a good time?” Tony asked. 

“Of course! I’m sure he’s here,” Thor said. 

Tony glanced around the shop again. To their left was a table filled with dozens of crystals in bowls with little paper price tags. There was a glass case of figurines and wands, and several shelves of incense and candles. 

In the middle towards the back of the store was a second story that looked out over the shop, seemingly filled with row after row of books. There was a staircase on the right, and a curtain leading to another room beside the staircase. 

Thor eagerly started up the stairs. The curtain shifted with a breeze as he passed. Tony figured it had to lead to some sort of stock room, but he didn’t feel inclined to look inside. Instead, he followed Thor, the wooden floors creaking with age as they wandered between the bookshelves.

The spines of the books were titles like _Magic In the Modern Era_ , _Intermediary Potion Applications_ , and _Spirits and You: A Cautionary Tale of Practicality and Recklessness_. 

“Thor,” Tony said, following around a corner bookcase. “Your brother’s not an antique dealer. This is like an oddities shop, or an occult bookstore.” 

Thor shrugged. “He deals with a lot of antiques,” he said, grabbing the handle of a door marked staff only. Thor opened it to a small kitchenette. “Loki?” 

The table in the middle was empty, aside from a partially filled coffee cup and a small stack of books. 

“He would’ve put his be right back sign up if he wasn’t here,” Thor thought aloud. 

“Maybe he’s in the bathroom?” 

“Loki!” Thor yelled out over the shop.

“Hey! Remember what you said about how he wouldn’t charge me if you didn’t make him mad?” 

“Thor?” A voice called from below. Thor hurried over to the railing that overlooked the first floor. 

“Loki!” He exclaimed. “My friend has something that you are going to want to see.”

Tony couldn’t make out Loki’s softer reply, and by the time he made it to the stairs, a tall man with long black hair tied into a ponytail was pulling up a panel in the counter to let himself behind the register. 

He looked right at home in the shop, wearing black slacks and a black fitted vest over a green shirt. He was giving Thor a skeptical stare from behind a pair of thick black glasses. A spider earring dangled from one ear. Thor hovered beside the counter. 

“He found it wedged inside a toolbox from his dad’s garage and has been trying to figure out what it is for weeks. His dad used to travel a lot for business, but he never mentioned it. Maybe it’s a souvenir from somewhere?” Thor picked at one of the loose white threads on his distressed jeans. “He tried posting about it online, but he can’t find anyone that knows what it is.”

“What _what_ is, Thor? You haven’t shown me a picture or described anything yet.” 

“I’ve got it here,” Tony said, starting down the stairs. 

Loki’s eyes flicked over to him. Where he’d been annoyed but casual with his brother, he immediately straightened, leaning away from the counter and regarding Tony with polite interest. 

“Here,” Tony said, setting it down. 

Loki picked up, turning it over and studying the detailed stitching on the cloth. “Did you find it with this, or did you wrap it?” 

“I found it like that. Why? Can you tell what it is from the cloth?”

Loki shook his head. “No, but the symbols embroidered here are for protection and concealment.” He pointed to what Tony had thought was a poorly shaped flower. “Do you have any idea how long your father had this for? The faded lines from the folding suggest that it sat for quite a while.” 

“He died ten years ago, so at least that, but if you open it up, the box seems pretty old.” 

Loki set it on the counter, gently undoing the knot. He frowned at the lacquered wood with the spiraling patterns and designs. Pressing his lips together, Loki stared at it for a long moment before flipping the lid open.

“Fuck,” Loki exclaimed, turning his head away and stepping back from the counter with his hands up. He quickly bent down and opened a cabinet, withdrawing a canister of salt. He flicked the metal tab open with his finger. “Of course you would bring this into my shop,” Loki accused Thor. He began muttering something under his breath as he poured salt around the box. 

“Hey!” Tony exclaimed, the surprise wearing off. “Is it a good idea to get salt on an antique?”

“Loki,” Thor prompted as Loki continued to mutter, ignoring them both.

“I’m going to have to cleanse the whole shop,” Loki complained, pinching the bridge of his nose. The cat got up, giving him a grumpy scowl before hopping down to presumably sleep elsewhere. “Lock the door,” Loki said, giving the empty street a furtive glance.

“What is it?” Thor asked, amused as he turned the lock.

“What is it?” Loki repeated. “Oh, it’s only the _Infinity Gauntlet_ ,” Loki hissed. “It’s only one of the most inauspicious, cursed items that you could’ve dragged into my shop! The only good thing about this is that you don’t have all the pieces.” He turned to Tony then, a slight glare behind his glasses. “You don’t, right?” 

“Right,” Tony said. He kind of wished he’d just started calling up antique dealers instead of blabbing to Thor about it at the gym.

“Good,” Loki said, shaking the salt from the box and snapping it shut. 

“Loki,” Thor said, leaning against the counter, completely unfazed. “What about the piece that’s in there?” 

A single, pale blue stone tile with a cube-like symbol was slotted into the shallow box. Tony had figured it was part of some game set, like dominoes. 

“That would be the space stone,” Loki said, carefully wrapping the box so that all of the faded fold lines were aligned with the edges. “It is, perhaps, the most benign of the set, but it’s difficult to say so with confidence when I’ve never even seen this item in person before. There’s been skepticism if the set is even real.” 

Loki set the box back on the counter beside Tony. “You said you’d posted this online, right? Delete your posts. Collectors will come looking for it, and not the well-adjusted kind.” 

Tony stared at the box. He’d just wanted to know what it was. “This is—kinda making me feel like I dragged Jumanji into your store, but I’m not sure I believe an object can be cursed, or whatever.” 

He had zero doubt that curses were made up bullshit, but he wouldn’t tell Loki that.

“Well, perhaps not _cursed_ ,” Loki said. He drew a brush from beneath the counter and swept the salt into a bin. “It’s said that owning the set grants the beholder a wish. Those sorts of stories rarely have happy endings.” 

“Who made it?” Thor asked.

“A cult named the Celestials.” Loki brushed salt from his hands. “They were fairly obscure until they gained notoriety for making the gauntlet. The members all died from highly unusual deaths, and those that have owned the stones since then have encountered tragedies as well. Hence the curse idea.” 

“But that’s probably just coincidence,” Tony said. He vehemently shoved away the thought of his parents’ car accident. “Bad things happen to people all the time. It doesn’t mean that’s connected to the box. It doesn’t mean anything but that chance is a thing.” 

“Maybe,” Loki said. “But all the same, you’d be better off getting rid of it.”

Tony tried to ignore the sinking in his gut and the foreboding tingle down his spine. They were all quiet for a moment.

Thor gestured towards the street. “It’s usually busy this time of year. Where is everyone?” 

“I don’t know,” Loki answered, following his gaze. “It’s been like this all week, in all of the stores, as if everyone’s suddenly vanished. Even the corner bar has been quiet.” 

“That’s odd,” Thor said.

“Very,” Loki agreed. “Thankfully the online orders are keeping me busy. I don’t remember it ever being this slow in the shop.”

“I haven’t noticed it being slow anywhere else. Have you, Tony?” 

“What—oh, uh, yeah. I guess the grocery store was a little slow when I went this week.” Tony grabbed the box from the counter, tucking it beneath his arm. “Well, this was fun, but I’ve got some work to get back to.” 

“Wait,” Loki said. “I’ve got a book that includes a history of the gauntlet. It’ll be difficult for you to find online, and I’ll give you the twenty percent family discount for being Thor’s friend,” Loki said, flashing a charming smile as Thor rolled his eyes. 

“I—” Tony felt the gauntlet’s weight pressing against his ribs. “What’s the book like?” 

“I’ll go grab it,” Loki said, stepping out from behind the counter to hurry up the stairs.

“You don’t have to buy anything,” Thor told him. 

“I know,” Tony said, looking around the shop. “But he did appraise it, I guess.” He didn’t want to tell Thor that he was a little bit curious. He didn’t want to admit to himself that he was curious. 

“You’re always generous,” Thor remarked. Tony slightly shook his head, fidgeting with his tinted glasses. 

Loki’s feet were light on the stairs as he returned with a tan colored tome. He set it on the counter beside Tony, slipping back behind the register. 

_A History of the Arcane and Obscure_ had a worn cover with a brown ink calligraphy. It smelled like an old book, and the text was dense as Tony flipped through. “It’s in the table of contents,” Loki said, so chipper that Tony shot him a look. 

Tony found the page, but then his heart stilled as he saw a perfect drawing of the box. Reluctantly, he flipped forward a few pages to see more dense text and an illustration of a different tile. “Fine.” Tony reached for his wallet. “I’ll get it.” 

“That will be 34.08 with tax,” Loki chirped. 

Thor smirked while Loki rang up the purchase. As Loki set Tony’s book into a paper bag with the shop name stamped on it he asked, “What are you so happy about?” 

“A minute ago you were mad we brought this in, but we’re the first sale of the day.” 

“Only the first in-person sale,” Loki corrected him, handing the bag to Tony. “And I still have to cleanse everything, so don’t be so proud of yourself.” Thor wasn’t abashed at all. “Besides, it's your friend that bought something, not you. If you’re not going to buy anything, Thor, then go home and lift some weights or something.” 

“Is that how you talk to your customers?” 

“You’re not my customer, now are you?” 

"Maybe I'll buy a candle." 

"Ha! I don't believe I've ever seen a single candle in your entire house."

"I could burn it in the room I keep my gym bag."

"First, that is disgusting. Wash your clothes. Second, that's not what these candles are for."

The bickering was friendly, but Tony wanted to dive into his lab and bury himself so deep that the nervous twinge in his stomach would disappear completely. “Alright kiddos, playtime’s over. Thor, your ride’s leaving.” Tony slipped the wrapped box inside the bag beside the book.

The two brothers both frowned at him, but Thor leaned away from the counter. “I guess it is getting close to dinner.” He turned back to Loki, looking like he’d stay chatting for another hour. 

“Come on,” Tony told Thor, unlocking the door. 

“Make sure you delete those posts,” Loki warned. Tony only nodded. The bag crinkled as he stepped outside. 

The light was fading from the sky, and the uncomfortable urgency to get home consumed him.


	2. Chapter 2

Tony pulled his scarf up over his mouth, chewing on his bottom lip. He barely registered the way the park bench was digging into his back or the murmur of the crowd around him.

_I believe I have an answer to what the item you posted is._

Tony hadn’t thought anything at all about getting the private message on the forum. Sure, Loki had warned him about collectors, but Loki had also given him a book on magic artifacts that Tony didn’t really believe in. So Tony had replied back. Like an idiot.

_Thanks! I got it assessed, so mystery’s solved!_

He hadn’t expected a response. He should have, but he’d just figured that would be it.

_And what did the assessment tell you?_

At least this message had made Tony pause and think about what Loki had said about attracting collectors of the not so well adjusted kind.

_Just some kooky art project. It’s not really worth anything._ That was the truth, wasn’t it?

_I think it is an impressive art piece. I could give you $40 for it?_

Tony hadn’t seen the last message. He’d gone to bed, and it was what he’d woken up to that had him chewing his lip now. 

_I think that is a reasonable amount for a “kooky art project”. Unless you’ve decided to keep it?_

_We can negotiate the price, but I think what I’ve offered is fair.”_

_Who assessed it for you? I know a lot of dealers. If you let me know who assessed it, I’ll cut you a deal if we’re friends._

_Hello? I am very interested in purchasing it from you._

_What? Is that not enough for you? It’s more than enough for some “kooky art project”, like you said. It’s not even worth $10._

_I collect unique art. I am a well known and respected collector. Anyone in town would be overjoyed if I offered to buy something for them._

_Let me know when you change your mind about selling it to me._

The very last one that had been sent had given Tony chills when he’d read it.

_I am inevitable._

“Tony?” 

Tony jumped, catching his phone. 

“Tony, you alright?” James chimed in. He had the same uneasy look as Steve.

Tony flashed a jumpy smile. “You uh—remember that box I was telling you about from my dad’s garage, and how I was trying to figure it out?” Tony combed his fingers back through his hair. “Well, I uh, put pictures of it online, and I guess—well, I guess it’s attracted a weirdo.” 

Steve’s jaw set. He looked over to James, who caught his eye before holding his hand out to Tony. “Let me see your phone.” 

“It’s fine. Come on Barnes, let’s get some caramel popcorn. They have things like that at fairs like this, right? Or funnel cakes? I haven’t had one of those in forever.” 

“Tony, give him your phone,” Steve insisted.

Tony hesitated for a moment before dropping it in James’s hand. His eyes flew over the text before he let out a low whistle. “This guy’s a piece of work.” Steve craned his neck around to see, pushing up on his toes in his scuffed canvas sneakers. 

“Does he know anything about you?” James asked, handing the phone to Steve.

Tony shook his head. “He shouldn’t know anything but my screen name.”

James nodded, tucking his hands inside his motorcycle jacket pockets.

“Tony, this guy’s insane.” Steve looked like he wanted to punch somebody, but that wasn’t an unfamiliar sight. “Tell him you already sold it,” Steve said, handing the phone back. “Tell him you’re filing a police report for threatening you.” 

“Where am I going to say I sold it?” Tony asked, standing up and shoving the phone in his pocket.

“Ebay,” Steve said. “An antique shop. Anywhere.” 

“Why’s this guy want it anyway?” James asked. 

Tony scratched his beard. “Thor had me bring it to his brother’s shop, and he flipped out about it. He said it’s cursed or something. He told me to get rid of it. He said it attracts people that are—”

“—Unhinged?” James offered. Tony nodded. “Doesn’t Thor’s brother have a shop on this street?” 

“Yeah,” Steve said, glancing past the vendor stalls lining the road. “Isn’t it on Main Street?” 

“Yeah. When you guys invited me to come with you this morning, it was weird. This is literally the second time I’ve been here.” 

“We should ask him about it,” Steve said. “Maybe he’ll know how to get rid of the guy.” 

Tony shook his head. “I already know what he thinks about it. Come on. Caramel popcorn?” He asked, smiling at Steve. “Caramel popcorn? How about you, Barnes? You want a sugar rush?” 

“I guess I could go for some,” he shrugged. Tony pretended he didn’t see the look Steve and James exchanged before they followed Tony down the street. 

Tony took a handful of popcorn, contentedly watching the crowd as Steve and James were getting their popcorn. There was a brilliant flash of lights at the end of the street. Someone kept hitting the top bar on the strongman game.

“What’re you watching?” Steve asked, opening his popcorn bag. 

“Someone keeps winning that game,” Tony said. Steve turned towards where Tony gestured. “I always thought those were rigged.” 

A burly man in a long coat and hat was holding the hammer. 

“You should give it a try, Buck.” Steve said as James joined them.

“Nah. The games are all rigged.”

“That’s what Tony just said,” Steve said, amused. 

“Great minds think alike, huh?” Tony said before shoving another handful of popcorn in his mouth. They wandered down to the next vendor stall. 

They meandered through stalls of apple butter, handmade scarves, and goat milk soap. It wasn’t long before they were passing Loki’s shop.

Tony looked inside for just a moment. Loki was behind the counter, sitting on a tall black stool and reading a book. His cat was laying on the counter beside him, waving his tail back and forth. The front door was propped open and people were milling around inside.

Loki looked perfectly at home in his shop. 

Tony looked straight ahead. “Hey Tony,” James said. “You want to waste some money with me trying to knock down some of those bottles?” 

“Sure,” Tony said. “But Steve’s got to play too.” 

“I’ll beat you both,” Steve said.

“You want to place money on that?” James asked.

Steve nodded. “Ten bucks I can knock down more than both of you.” “You’re on.”

As they joined the line to play the game, Tony noticed the guy from the strongman game was a few stalls down. His face was obscured by his hat, but he stood out in his dark purple coat. Tony turned back to the game. 

Steve had ten dollars more in his pocket and a new packet of sticky hands. They’d stopped to buy apple cider when Tony complained that his hands were too cold. The line was long. 

“Hey,” Tony said, voice hushed in a way that immediately drew Steve and James’s attention. “The guy in the purple coat. He’s always been a couple stalls away from us since we played that game. Do you think he’s following us?” 

The man was bent over a set of art prints, flipping through the box.

“We can go back up the street after this and see if he follows,” James offered. “Besides, I want to throw darts at the balloons back there.” 

“I thought you said the game was rigged,” Steve teased him. 

“They are. That was luck back there for you,” James said. “I just want to throw some darts.” 

“Sure, Buck.” Steve smirked at him. Tony glanced down at his phone. “Are you looking at those messages again?” 

“Yeah,” Tony admitted, putting his phone away. “Just—I don’t want that guy back there to be—” It sounded paranoid as Tony said it out loud. James patted his shoulder. 

“We’re right here if he is,” James said.

They got their apple cider without any incidents. The man in the dark purple coat had vanished into one of the shops. Tony felt silly.

Last night, he’d sped read through the book Loki had given him. Loki hadn’t been kidding. The Celestials’s deaths were all exceptionally morbid and unusual. Maybe that was what had him spooked. 

But the forum creep was just a creep, right? Tony had deleted the posts. 

James was good at darts. He’d hit fifteen balloons in a row. “Are you going for the grand prize?” Steve asked. 

“I’m going to win you that giant bear,” Bucky said, nodding towards the back of the booth. 

With sarcasm Steve answered, “That’s real cute of you, Bucky.” 

“Don’t get a big head about it,” James answered. “I just want to watch you try and carry it.” 

Tony buried his nose in his apple cider, tuning them out. Five darts later, James was laughing as he won the oversized plushie. He kissed Steve on the cheek as he dumped the bear in Steve’s arms, the stuffed animal dwarfing him. Steve was swearing but laughing. Feeling like a third wheel, Tony crossed the street to throw away his empty cup in the nearest trashcan. 

“Hey.” 

Tony looked up from the wire bin. He went very, very still. The man in the purple trench coat was there. Tony took a step backwards as the man took a step towards him. “Can I help you?” Tony asked with a sharp smile, his heart pounding. “I’m pretty sure the costume shop for prohibition gangsters is back that way.” 

“You’re H.O.M.E.R.,” the man said. Tony’s face blanched at his screen name. He took another step backwards. “You didn’t answer my messages, so I thought I’d come by and see you.” 

“I don’t have it,” Tony said. His back pressed against the coarse brick wall of a floral shop. When had the guy managed to corner him like this? “I don’t have it.” 

“Really?” 

The man’s face was flushed dark red, with drooping wells of purple beneath his eyes. Thick, perfectly symmetrical lines were scored down his cheeks and chin. The scarring looked intentional. Tony’s stomach churned. “Yeah. I dropped it off at a thrift store because it wasn’t worth anything.” 

The man smiled. “And which thrift store would that be?” 

Tony’s mind blanked. “I—”

“Back off!” Steve was there, shoving the man aside. “Leave him alone!” Steve grabbed Tony’s arm, pulling him off from the wall. “Who do you think you are?” Steve demanded, glowering up at the man.

The man straightened his hat. “My name is Thanos.” James was there, holding the bear with one arm. “Your friend has something that belongs to me.” 

“He doesn’t have anything of yours,” Steve said. 

“I think you should move on,” James said, stepping closer to Thanos. 

He looked between the three of them. “Just remember the gauntlet and the stones belong to me.” Tony could barely make out the guy’s voice over his heartbeat. “I’m sure you’ll bring them to me when you understand what they cost.” 

“I don’t have them,” Tony said. 

Thanos scoffed, then turned and left. 

The trio was quiet for a moment.

“Well I don’t know about you guys, but I think I’m ready to go home,” Tony said with forced enthusiasm.

Steve brushed his hand against his nose. “I guess. This fair’s half as crowded as it was last year anyway. I think we’ve seen everything.” 

“Are you sure you’re going to be ok going home alone?” James asked Tony.

“Rhodey’s getting back from a business trip today. We were supposed to go out for drinks this evening. I think I’ll let him know what’s been going on.” 

“What about the box?” Steve asked.

Resolve was settling in Tony’s chest. “Cursed or not, I don’t think that guy should have it.” Tony folded his arms over his chest. “Besides. It was my dad’s, and I’m sure he had a reason for keeping it.” 

James pushed the bear back into Steve’s arms. “Maybe you should get rid of it if guys like that are coming for it. Is it really worth it?” 

“I’ll think about it,” Tony said. 

As they walked back to their cars, Tony was chewing his lip again. He called Rhodey as soon as he got in the driver’s seat.

Rhodey picked up on the second ring. As soon as Tony finished explaining, Rhodey let out a heavy breath. 

“I was going to wait to tell you this until I saw you in person, but I think I found one of the tiles that goes in that box. I brought it back with me.”


	3. Chapter 3

Rhodey wrapped Tony up in a huge hug, lifting him off the ground to Tony’s indignant yelp. “That never gets old,” Rhodey laughed as he set Tony down. 

“I’m shorter than everyone except Nat, but you’re the only person that thinks it’s hilarious,” Tony pretended to grumble, smiling in spite of himself. 

“Because it _is_ hilarious,” Rhodey said. “I can’t help it if I’m the only person that has a sense of humor.” 

The autumn breeze blew through, cutting straight through Tony’s faded cotton t-shirt. Rhodey glanced curiously towards the front porch. “Are you decorating for Halloween this year?” 

Tony looked back over his shoulder. There was a single pumpkin beside the front door. “No, one of my neighbors gave everybody on the street one. I should probably put it in the backyard so someone doesn’t smash it into my mailbox.” 

“You could clean the gutters out too while you’re at it.” 

“I thought guests weren’t supposed to criticize the host.” 

“Guest,” Rhodey scoffed. “I’ve practically lived here.” 

The wind whipped through again. “Come on,” Tony said, walking up the cracked sidewalk path to his front porch and pulling open the front door. “The pizza got here about ten minutes before you did.” 

Rhodey tugged at the strap of the duffel bag slung over his shoulder. “I haven’t eaten since the plane,” Rhodey said, kicking off his shoes by the front door and following Tony into the kitchen. 

The house hadn’t changed much since Tony had inherited it. The decor was the same as when Rhodey had first started hanging out with Tony in second grade. “I had the weirdest dreams on the flight,” Rhodey said, setting his duffel bag on one of the empty chairs at the kitchen table. 

“I thought you couldn’t sleep on planes,” Tony said, setting plates out.

“I can’t,” Rhodey said, taking a beer from the fridge. “I don’t even remember falling asleep. It was the most vivid dream I think I’ve ever had.” 

“What was it about?” Tony asked, taking the seat across from Rhodey and helping himself to a slice of pepperoni pizza. 

“The dream wasn’t about anything unusual,” Rhodey said. “I was at a bowling alley, but it was like I was literally there. And everything I wanted happened. They had great food, I got all strikes, the guys from my old league were there. I had a great time. It was really hard to remember where I was when I woke up.” 

Rhodey took a sip of his beer, stilling as he saw the way Tony stared at the table. “Tones?” 

“There’s this book,” Tony said, the chair screeching as he got up. “I think you should see it.” Tony was out of the room before Rhodey could ask.

Tony returned with the massive book tucked under his arm. He hurried to sit back down as he flipped through it, finding the page with the right stone and pushing the book to the middle of the table. “Tell me this isn’t the tile you found on your trip.” 

Rhodey rubbed his hand against his chin. “Well,” he said slowly. “It was a one in five chance, right?” 

“And maybe your dream’s just coincidence,” Tony said, folding his arms. “But that’s the Reality Stone. It supposedly allows you feel like you control reality by inducing lucid dreaming.” 

“And the stone you’ve got?” 

“It’s supposed to make it easy to alter spaces to the way you want them to be, almost like traveling to a new place? It has the least description out of any of the stones. But I guess if I left it out, it would—clear the gutters or something.” 

Rhodey sat back in his chair, grabbing a slice of pizza. “It’s been in the garage forever,” he said. “And this house looks like it always has. So if your dad used to have it here, shouldn’t the house have been changing? You’ve always wanted to add space onto the garage.” 

“I can’t because I’ve never been able to get the permits to do it,” Tony said. “But—Loki said the cloth the box is wrapped up in prevents the stone from working. So maybe that’s why nothing ever happened.” Tony wasn’t sure if he should allow himself to entertain the idea that the stones really worked, but he was doing it anyway. 

“It sounds like an easy experiment,” Rhodey said. “We’ll leave them out tonight and see if the gutters clear out and we have crazy dreams.” 

“Sounds like a hell of a night,” Tony said with a sardonic smile. Rhodey shrugged. “Thanks for staying over for a night in. Maybe I’m just spooked by that guy. I mean—this stuff can’t be real, right?” 

“Honestly, that creep is what I’m more worried about,” Rhodey said. “I don’t like the thought of you being alone here. But I don’t think there’s any harm in trying the tiles. It’s not going to hurt anything.” Rhodey studied him for a moment. “And I don’t think you’re nuts.” 

Tony hadn’t realized that was what he’d needed to hear until Rhodey said it. “I feel like it,” Tony said, laughing at himself. “Maybe I’ve been working too many hours at the shop.” 

“You don’t have to work any hours,” Rhodey said. Tony’s auto restoration shop always did well and didn’t need him to repair the cars himself, even though it was what Tony loved to do. “But maybe it’s good if you do this week.” 

“Yeah.” Tony took a bite of his pizza as Rhodey grabbed the book, glancing through the pages. 

“You know,” Rhodey said, “that Thanos creep aside, this is kind of fun. I’ve never been on a magical quest before.” Rhodey slipped to the page about the Infinity Gauntlet. “How do you think your dad found this thing?” 

“I don’t know. Maybe it was a souvenir, or maybe it was a gift? And his business and the people he worked with were—well, you remember what happened with Obadiah.” 

“No love lost there,” Rhodey said. 

“Sometimes I’m glad he tanked my dad’s business so that I didn’t have to feel like I had to run it,” Tony said. He took a quick breath in. “Anyway. How’d you find your tile?” 

“I went out for drinks with some of the other speakers from the conference. You know how the aerospace engineering crowd is, I kind of know everyone that does the conference thing. Drinks was mostly talking about our work, and I decided to call it an early night.

“As I was walking back to the hotel, I passed an antique shop. I saw it in the front window. The shop owner sold it to me for five dollars. She said it was an art piece she picked up at a county fair.” 

He unzipped his bag and dug out a tile that was the same size as Tony’s was, though this one had a red ceramic glaze on it. “She told me to use it as a coaster. For what? A shot glass?” Rhodey laughed, setting the tile down on the table for Tony.

“Did you tell her you had one like it?” 

“No,” Rhodey said. “Luckily. Have you gotten any more messages from that guy?” 

Tony pulled out his phone to check. “Nope.” 

Rhodey flipped through the book. “How much of this have you read?” 

“Just the part about the tiles. Stones. Whatever they are, just that part.” 

“This stuff is wild,” Rhodey said, reaching for his beard. “Look at this illustration.” He held up an ink drawing of a bottle with writhing tentacles inside. “It says it’s a storm in a bottle.” 

Rhodey enjoyed looking through the book as they ate, pointing out his favorite artifacts. Later, they watched a movie and stayed up talking until late. Tony was more nervous than he wanted to be as they set the tiles out. “I hope I dream about a beach vacation this time,” Rhodey said.

“Yeah,” Tony said, smiling. His chest was tight. “That’d be great.”

Tony was walking through a desert, sandy cliffs and piles of boulders surrounding him. He was looking for something. He couldn’t remember what it was exactly, but he kept walking towards it beneath the pale blue sky.

After a while, Tony heard the rhythmic clanking of metal. He moved towards the source until he found himself overlooking the ledge of a cliff. He clasped a hand over his mouth and held his breath.

Beneath him, a city was burning. 

The charred city was a miserable husk of crumpled steel buildings. People slowly moved in lines, heading towards the center. A hunched figure was pounding away at a stone in the center of the city. The people left gifts before him, then returned to the back of the line to start again.

Tony’s stomach churned. The man was building this bleak hellscape, and Tony knew who it was. 

The hammering stopped. 

The man turned, as though he knew Tony was up on the cliff. Tony’s hands flexed into fists as their eyes met. 

“You’re in my dream,” Thanos said. He grinned. “Which means you have the Reality Stone. I’ll have to thank you for finding it.” 

Thanos dropped his hammer, the people peeling back from the street like tissue paper and vanishing as he stalked towards Tony. “But I can’t have another collector,” Thanos said. 

“Yeah? And what do you want them for?” Tony demanded, intimidated by Thanos’s size even as Tony towered above him. “Your weird art collection?” 

Thanos held his arms out, gesturing to the city. “To fully realize my wish,” he said, like it was obvious. “The world requires correction. I will fix it, and the entire universe will be grateful.” 

“Like that?” Tony pointed towards the city. 

“That is only the beginning.” He grinned, taking a step closer. “I know how to make a perfect world. The stones are wasted on you. You don’t know what they’re worth.” 

“I don’t think they’re well spent on you,” Tony said. He didn’t care what Thanos’s master plan was. One glance at the burning city and the sick feeling in his stomach was enough to convince Tony that Thanos couldn’t have them.

He was certain that Thanos had the Power Stone. He needed to know how close the race was. “You’re just mad that you’ve only got one stone and I’ve got two,” Tony goaded. 

Thanos laughed. “I will have your two soon enough.” 

Tony reminded himself that he could lucid dream. “Tell me which ones you have and where they are.” 

“My mind is not tricked so easily,” Thanos said knowingly. “But I think it’s time for me to wake up anyway.” 

Like a switch being flipped, reality went dark. 

Tony woke up right after, gasping for breath.

He shook as he pushed himself out of bed. He went running through the house, flinging open the front door. 

Rhodey found him standing in the dewy morning grass in his boxers, staring up at perfectly pristine gutters. 

“Shit,” Rhodey said. 

“They work,” Tony said. The mail truck puttered up the street behind them. “What did you dream about last night?”

“A cabana with a pool.” 

The mail truck’s brakes squealed. “Hey!” A familiar voice called. 

“Hey, Happy,” Tony called back. 

“What’s going on?” 

“A long story,” Tony said, walking over to the truck. “Kind of hard to explain.” 

“Looks like it,” Happy said, holding Tony’s mail out to him. “Are you alright?” 

“Yeah. I’m good.” 

“Ok. Well, take your pumpkin off the front porch. A mailbox ten houses down got smashed.” 

“Thanks for the heads up.” 

Happy nodded. He waved to Rhodey. “Good to see you!” 

“Yeah, it’s been a while!” Rhodey called back. Happy said goodbye, and Tony flipped through his mail, trying to distract himself from the building anxiety.

A letter caught his eye. Tony tore it open.

“Tony?” 

Rhodey was suddenly at his side, looking at the permit letter. “They said it was a mistake,” Tony said in disbelief. “They’re granting the permits. I tried to get them through five years ago.” Tony started jogging back towards the house. 

“Wait! What are you doing?” 

“It’s not just some mistake,” Tony said, dropping the mail on the kitchen table. He grabbed the Infinity Gauntlet and its cloth, then took off to grab the tiles. “First, I’m wrapping the stones up in this thing so they don’t do anything else. Second, I am finding the rest of them.” 

“What? You should be getting rid of them!” 

“I should be smashing them with a hammer, but the book says they can’t be destroyed. I don’t know what that means, but I’ve seen what this guy wants to do with his wish. I can’t—I can’t let it happen. I’m going to get them, and then I’m going to wish them out of existence.” 

Rhodey was quiet for a while, turning it over. “Fine,” he decided. “But we’re going to need help.” 

They looked at each other for a moment before speaking at the same time. “Nat.” 

Tony reached for his phone.


	4. Chapter 4

Natasha walked ahead of Tony and Rhodey on the sidewalk, her hands tucked in the pockets of her threadbare hoodie. She wore a black beanie and expensive jeans. In the past, Tony had teased her that she looked like a Hollywood hacker, and it always got her bent out of shape that he used the word hacker at all.

“It’s right around here,” Natasha said, glancing back down at her phone. They passed a pet store and stopped outside a cafe. 

“Let’s make sure it’s the real deal before we figure out how to get it,” Natasha said, yanking open the door. 

They weaved their way through a busy lunch crowd. Natasha followed a blurry photo from an online review back to the wall, grabbing Tony’s elbow when she spotted it. 

Tony let out a sigh. “Well that’s going to be a problem.” 

About ten feet up, there was a border of mismatched tiles lining the wall. The soul stone had been slapped into the grout with the rest. It didn’t stand out on the cluttered wall, outshined by the dozens of framed family photos. “Are you sure that’s the one?” Rhodey asked. 

A woman and her grandkids pushed past them with their trays, claiming the only open table. Tony’s mouth watered at the scent of french fries. He looked back up. “Yeah—I mean, it looks like it. Right? What do you think?” 

Rhodey pursed his lips. “I mean, it looks like the picture in that book, but—Nat, can you show me another match?” 

She scrolled through her phone, handing it to him. “The next closest match is five hours away,” she said. “And there’s no guarantee that it’s still in the shop in the photo.” She’d had her program scour through thousands of online photos for possible matches. “Plus, I think it’s more likely that it’s here. That cult was based an hour away, right? It makes sense that the tiles would be local.” 

“One has been local,” Tony said. “Rhodey’s was from a three hour flight.” 

Natasha’s sharp green eyes set on him. “But that collector’s probably from around here. He must want to be close to them as well. Don’t you think he lives here on purpose?” 

“Or he just drove in for a day,” Tony said.

Rhodey zoomed out of the photo. “I don’t think that one’s a match. It’s grainy, but the symbol still looks off.” He handed Natasha her phone. “I don’t know how we’re going to get this one without a ladder, and there are all these people.” 

“We’re going to need more than a ladder,” Tony said, turning back towards the rest of the cafe. He’d been keeping an eye out for Thanos all day. “I’m going to have to chip out the grout and pry the tile out with a screwdriver, and I doubt the cafe owners are going to be cool with that.” 

“Maybe we should just let this one go for now,” Rhodey said.

Tony nodded. He wanted to try the shawarma special of the day. “I think that’s a good idea.” He smiled at them. “You guys want to get lunch while we’re here?” 

“Might as well,” Rhodey said. 

Natasha tucked her phone back in her pocket. “That was anti-climatic.” 

“After this morning, anti-climatic is good,” Tony said. 

Natasha invited them back to her place afterwards. She was determined to try locating the other tiles, but after hours of fruitless searches and dead ends, they threw in the towel. “Clint and I were going to light the fire pit and have beers in the backyard tonight. You guys should join us. We can tell ghost stories.” 

“Was the spooky stuff that went on today not enough?” Rhodey asked, rubbing his eyes. They’d been staring at the monitors for too long.

“All the spooky stuff I got to see was that boring tile.” She spun around in her chair. “And your book promised that thing held souls, whatever that means.” 

Tony stopped rubbing his temple just long enough to stare at her. “That’s probably why the place was packed.” 

“Boring,” she complained, standing up. “I need a beer.” 

“What did you want it to do?” Tony called after her as she walked towards the kitchen. Natasha just shrugged. 

“She’s too calm about this,” Rhodey said. 

“Yeah,” Tony sighed, getting up. 

They followed after her, then helped her carry extra beers and chips outside. By the time Clint was home from work, they had the lawn chairs set up and the fire going. Clint flopped down into the open chair by Natasha. He smiled at them. “I heard that you guys have a lot to tell me about.” 

It didn’t take long to fill Clint in on what had happened. At the end of it, he was silent. He just took a long sip of his beer and stared up at the stars.

“Why aren’t you freaking out?” Tony asked. 

Clint rolled his shoulder and took another sip. “I’m not not freaking out.” He set his beer down as he leaned over to grab a bag of chips.

A log popped in the fire. Blue sparks shot out into the smoke, curling skyward. “Who wants to tell ghost stories?” Natasha asked, throwing another log on the fire and poking it with a stick.

“You go first,” Clint told her. 

“Ok.” 

Tony roasted a marshmallow as Natasha told them the story of The Red Room. Natasha’s backyard overlooked a distant tree line and several other yards. The streetlights spilled over onto the grass. The trees were just shadows, swaying in the breeze.

Tony was glad they were together around the fire. He didn’t see movement beyond them. He didn’t hear anything but Natasha’s voice and the crackling fire over the breeze. Everything seemed to be okay.

“I’ve got a good one,” Rhodey said after Natsha finished. He grinned, and Tony found himself paying closer attention just because Rhodey was so obviously excited about the story. 

Tony handed the bag of marshmallows to Clint. Clint set his marshmallows on fire, peeling off the tops before popping them in his mouth. 

Rhodey lowered his voice, leaning forward. “They were like, boom! You looking for this?” 

It was obviously supposed to be the creepy twist to the story. No one said anything. “Boom!” Rhodey said. “Are you looking—why do I even bother with you guys? Everywhere else that story kills.” 

“Wait. Do you hear something?” Tony asked. He couldn’t make out anything in the trees.

“No,” Rhodey said, then froze as they all heard a distinct boom.

Natasha was the first to relax. “It’s probably just someone shooting off a firework.” 

“Just one?” Rhodey questioned. He’d barely spoken before another went off.

“I felt that one,” Clint said. 

“It’s getting close—” The air left Tony’s lungs.

A massive green specter floated towards them from around the house. It had no legs, but a massive, muscled torso and jaw with clenched teeth. Suddenly it was speeding towards them, bellowing. They panicked, scrambling in different directions. 

Natasha flipped up her chair and pointed it towards the ghost. Clint and Rhodey had started towards the house while Tony had fallen from his chair in the effort to escape. The specter barreled towards the fire. Its cry rang in their ears as it vanished just as quickly as it had appeared. 

For a moment, they could do nothing but stare, hearts pounding.

“What did it say?” Clint asked. 

Tony’s mouth was dry. “Avenge.” 

Clint held out his hand for Tony to get up. “Avenge what?” 

“I don’t know.” He was shaking as Clint helped him get back on his feet. “But we all just saw a ghost, right? I’m not losing my mind?” 

“Not unless we all are,” Clint said. 

Tony grasped the sleeves of his jacket as he crossed his arms, trying to stop shivering. “I think I know who we need to ask for help.” 

Loki always arrived at his shop about a half hour before he opened it to get things ready. Never, not even once, had there been someone waiting to get in, let alone a small crowd.

Loki stopped a few paces away on the sidewalk, keys in hand.

“We open at eleven,” he said. 

He recognized Thor’s friend as he pulled up his sunglasses and stepped away from the door. “That’s a late start to the day, don’t you think?” 

“The hours are posted on the door,” Loki said. “Step back so that I can go inside.” 

They all hovered over his shoulder as the keys jangled, the door groaning as it opened. Tony was right at his heels, following. Loki stopped, turning back over his shoulder. “We open at eleven.” 

“You’re going to want to hear this,” Tony promised. 

Loki glanced beyond Tony to his group of friends. They all had the same urgent, worried look more or less to the same degree. His lips drew into a thin line. “I very much doubt that.” 

“We’ll buy stuff,” Tony said. 

“Speak for yourself,” Rhodey said behind him. 

Tony turned around. “Come on sour patch, it can just be a candle or whatever.” 

“How do you know this guy knows anything?” Clint asked. 

“Ah,” Loki said. “This is terribly convincing.” 

“Loki,” Tony said, smiling. “We’ll buy things, okay? Just let us in.” 

“I already told you not to go galavanting around with that gauntlet,” Loki warned. 

“It’s not that,” Tony said. “It’s something different.” 

Loki frowned, considering the group. 

They weren’t going to go away. They’d just loiter around outside until he finally did open, and that’d just be gossip for the other shop keepers on the street. “Fine. Come in,” he said, stepping back.   
Bartholomew rubbed up against his ankles as the group walked in. Loki locked the door, Bartholomew’s collar jingling as he followed Loki behind the counter. Loki peeled open a can of wet food and spooned it into the cat’s bowl. 

When he looked up, Tony was standing in front of the counter, with one of his friends standing to the side and staring up at the second floor. Another was carefully smelling candles while the one woman in the group was running her finger along the edge of a ceremonial blade. “Well,” Loki said. “What has you so enthralled that you brought an audience?” 

Loki was utterly unprepared for how much Tony surprised him next. “A ghost,” he said, completely lacking the air of skepticism from his last visit. 

Loki leaned against the back counter, being careful not to catch his ponytail on one of the bags on the shelf. “A ghost.” 

“It was massive,” his friend said. “And it was green, but not like the one in Ghost Busters.” 

“It was like if that ghost had spent its eternity working out,” Tony said. 

Loki lowered an eyebrow, twisting his lips to the side. “So you both saw this ghost?” 

“Rhodey and I did,” Tony said. “But so did Clint and Natasha,” he said, gesturing towards them. Natasha took that as her cue to walk over, grabbing Clint’s elbow as she did. 

“We were having a campfire,” Natasha said.

If it hadn’t been for the discomfort on their faces, Loki would’ve thrown them out for making fun of his shop. He’d done that before. “Were you all perfectly sober when you saw it?” 

“We had a couple beers, but nothing crazy,” Tony said immediately. “We’re _not_ telling you about something we saw when we were high either, ok? We all saw it.” 

“Yeah,” Clint chimed in. “And they heard it telling us to avenge.” 

Loki braced his hands behind him on the counter. “So what? Are you all its avengers now?” His lips twitched.

“I thought you would take this seriously!” Tony complained. “You run an occult store.” 

Loki sighed. “I am merely teasing you.” He leaned off the counter, meaning to go pull a few books from the shelves. “Wait here a moment, _avengers_.” 

As he headed up the stairs he heard Rhodey whisper, “He thought that was hilarious, you know.” 

Loki did. And he didn’t bother hiding his grin now.

He returned down the stairs with three new books, setting them beside Tony. “These are our best books on hauntings.” 

“I could just go to the library if I wanted to read about it,” Tony said. 

“I think what he means is that we wanted your advice,” Rhodey said. 

“Perhaps if you buy something, I’ll find myself interested in dolling out advice. After all, I did open up early for you all.” He said with a smile, amused at how much that annoyed Tony. 

“I’m getting this candle,” Clint said, setting a pine scented one on the counter. 

“And I’ll get this deck,” Natasha said, smiling at Tony as she set it beside Clint’s purchase. 

“I’ll take one of the books,” Rhodey said.

“Then I’ll get the other two. Happy?” 

“Incredibly,” Loki said smoothly, making quick work of ringing up their purchases. 

“Now then,” Loki said, bagging Tony’s books. “Where were you all having this campfire?”

“At our house,” Natasha said. 

“Have you had paranormal activity there before?” 

“No,” she said. “And the house doesn’t have a weird history or anything.” 

Loki leaned against the back counter again, folding his arms over his chest. “Where had each of you been earlier in the day?” 

“We went to The Flying Cow for lunch. Clint was working,” Rhodey said. 

Loki pressed a hand to his glasses, adjusting them. “Maybe it attached onto one of you from that cafe.” Natasha turned to Tony and gave him a pointed look. He shook his head at her. “What?” Loki asked, gaze narrowing. 

“Just tell him,” Natasha said. Tony’s jaw set, and in a second Natasha was turning back to him. “We found the soul stone there.” 

Loki drew in a sharp, tight breath. “It’s tiled to the wall,” Tony said. “Look, you don’t understand who’s after it. We can’t just let him have it—”

“—I know perfectly well who’s after it!” Bartholomew turned to stare at him. “You have a wealth of poorly adjusted, power hungry eccentrics that will be clamoring after you now that you have one stone and have found another.” Bartholomew hopped up beside him and brushed comfortingly against his side, purring.

“Actually, it’s three.” 

Loki wasn’t sure who said it. “Three?” He echoed.

“I found one,” Rhodey said. 

“Yeah,” Tony said. “And the one Rhodey had let me see that Thanos guy’s dreams, and I’m telling you Loki, that guy’s got to be stopped.” 

Loki wanted to laugh. “You’re going to stop Thanos?” 

“You know him?” Rhodey asked.

“I’ve heard of him,” Loki said. “He’s got a reputation for violence. He coerced the owner of a shop like this into giving him artifacts.” Loki glanced towards the door, reminding himself that he had locked it. “How are you planning to stop him?” 

“I’m going to get all six and wish that they weren’t anything but regular old tiles.” 

Loki stared at Tony, unsure if he was incredibly naive or just too determined for his own good. Slowly, Loki decided, “I suppose I can’t convince you to do otherwise.”

“Nope,” Tony answered. He leaned in closer to the counter. “So was the ghost from the soul stone then?”

Loki grimaced. “Possibly.” He was going to give his darling brother an earful for bringing Tony to his shop in the first place. This was getting out of hand. “I—know the owner of The Flying Cow. Let me talk to them about removing the tile.” 

He held tense eye contact with Tony. “And then it’s going to be wrapped up in that cloth with the rest and you are not going to tell _anyone_ about it. Any of you. Do you all understand?” 

“So you’re going to help?” Clint asked.

Loki sighed, looking away. “If you’ve found the actual soul stone, then the others will show up at Jim’s shop looking for it. I’d rather that you have it.” He stroked his cat, gently scratching beneath his collar. 

There was a knock at the door. They all jumped. 

A preteen girl with long red hair and combat boots was there, waving. 

“Is that one of the people looking for the stones?” Clint asked, half joking.

“That would be Wanda looking for another spell,” Loki said with a sigh. She was a regular. “It’s ten past eleven,” Loki said, glancing at the clock. He looked them all over once more as Wanda knocked again. “Be careful.” 

He went out from behind the counter to unlock the door.

They left after that. “So,” Tony said. “Natasha. Are you up for another day of looking for them?” 

“Sure,” Natasha said. “But he never really told us what to do about the ghost.” 

“Maybe it won’t show back up again,” Clint said.

“That’s some hopeful optimism right there,” Rhodey replied. 

Privately, Tony hoped that Clint was right.


	5. Chapter 5

The Bell and Broomstick had jack o’lanterns in the front window, lit by blinking led candles. As Tony drew back the door, it revealed dozens of bats hanging from strings on the ceiling, and that every surface of the store was covered in pumpkins and Halloween decorations. 

“You really went all out, huh?” Tony said, turning to the counter.

Loki stood behind the register, his glasses slightly crooked. He was wearing a wrinkled, cream colored cable knit sweater and his ponytail had several loose strands hanging over his face. “Late night?” Tony prompted. “What was your poison? You seem like a vodka guy, or maybe cocktails?” 

Loki slowly glanced up at him, his eyes sparking as they did. “Tony.” 

“Yeah.” Tony leaned his elbows against the counter. “So you know the ghost problem? Well, the weirdest thing happened. I was alone and it came back, but it morphed into this guy. Like, young, glasses, kind of nerdy looking. He was trying to talk to me. I couldn’t understand anything he was saying. His lips just sort of moved? And then he got frustrated and turned into that screaming green thing again before disappearing.” 

Loki didn’t tease him, or demand that he buy something, like Tony expected. He had to have a hell of a hangover. He looked wrecked. “So,” Tony continued. “How can I figure out what he’s trying to say? Like, should I get an ouija board or…you sell those, right?” 

Loki’s lips smacked as he opened his mouth. Tony held back a grimace. Loki really should’ve just stayed home. The shop was completely empty anyway. Not even his cat was around. “How many of the stones do you have?” 

“The stones? I didn’t get any more,” Tony said. 

“You should bring them here so that I can get a look at them. It will help with your—ghost problem.” 

A chill ran down Tony’s spine.

Loki wasn’t just hungover. Something was very, very off about him.

Tony needed to be careful. He needed to consider his reaction carefully. 

“Yeah,” Tony said, forcing a smile on. “Sure. I’ll bring them by a little later?” 

A slow, winding smile that was all teeth crept across Loki’s lips. His eyes took on a maniacal gleam. “Perfect.” 

“Yeah. Hey, so I’ll work on the ghost thing and bring them by, ok?” 

“I’ll be waiting.” 

Tony’s stomach churned as he made himself smile and wave, concentrating on how fast he walked out the door, struggling to look as natural as possible. He was dialing Thor before he even thought about it.

Thor’s voice was drowned out by music as he answered. It was the same upbeat mix he always had playing at the gym. “Tony? Are you going to swing by today? You keep missing your training sessions.” 

“I’m not avoiding you, I’ve just been really busy. Look. I just went by your brother’s shop, and something’s not right with him.” A wave of guilt washed over Tony. It was his fault. Loki had warned him, and Tony had dragged him into it anyway. “He’s—like, he’s possessed or something. I don’t think he should be left alone and—”

“—How is he acting?” 

Thor was much calmer than Tony expected. “Like he’s hungover,” Tony said. “Or sick? I don’t know. Thor, I—he warned me about that tile and I kept it anyway, and now I have more of them, and it’s just because I don’t want this nut job that’s after them to have them. But it’s magic, Thor. Freaking—magic, ok?” 

There was a metallic clink, like Thor had set a weight back on the rack. Tony envied the calm timbre in his voice. “I will go and check on him. I have never seen my brother drunk. It is probably a cold. He does tend to overwork himself, so I would not be surprised if he’s trying to work while sick. I do not think you are at fault, Tony. I doubt it is magic,” he said with a hint of derision in the last word.

“But,” Tony said, the word dying on his tongue. He stopped outside the cafe door. 

“I’m leaving to check on him now,” Thor said. Tony recoiled. Thor made it sound like he was humoring Tony. “I’ll give you a call after I visit. Thanks for letting me know.” 

“Yeah. Sure. No problem, big guy.” 

Thor said goodbye and hung up. Tony bit his cheek. He went in The Flying Cow, weaving around the usual lunch crowd. 

A family gave him odd looks as he stopped at their table, looking up at the ceiling.

The soul stone had been perfectly removed from the wall, leaving nothing but a crisp square of grout where the tile should have been.

Tony wasn’t surprised, but his heart sank down into his stomach.


End file.
